Combined typewriting and computing machine



Feb. 18, 1930.

o. G. sci-IAAF Erm.

COMBINED TYPEWRITING AND COMPUTING MACHINE Filed May* 6, 19.26 2 Sheets-Sheet l Feb- 18, 1930- o. G. scHAAF ET AL 1,747,680

COMBINED TYPEWRITING AND COMPUTING MACHINE Filed Slay 6; 192e 2 sheets-'sheet 2 //7 wf? fark:

Patented Feb. 18, 1930 y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE OSCAR G. SCHAAF .AND FREDERICK WILLIAM CHBISTIANSEN, OF SEATTLE, WASHING- TON, ASSIGNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T ELLIOTT-FISHER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE COMBINED TYPEWRITING AND coMPUTING MACHINE Application filed May '6, 1926. Serial No. 107,044.

This invention relates to combined type- Writing and computing machines, such as illustrated in the patent to Hanson, 1,278,812,

of September 10, 1918.

A statement-sheet and a ledger-sheet with a sheet of vcarbon interposed are inserted around the platen of the typewriteigand the amounts which are typed upon the sheets are either added or subtracted in the computing mechanism. The machine is provided with a bichrome ribbon having an upper black field, and av lower red field; the black field usually indicating that amounts have been added in the register, and the red ield indieating lthat amounts have been subtracted from theregister. The mechanism which shifts the ribbon to either of its fields is auto` matically controlled 4by the setting of the machine for either addition or subtraction.

In order that amounts may .be typed in a column of the iWork-sheet representing a credit-balance, there is provided a. credit-balance-key which is effective to set the machine for subtraction, and to set. the ribbon-mechanism to print in red regardless of its previous setting. In this manner it is easy to distinguish a debit or a credit balance. However, since thedifference incolor to indicate the character of a computation appears only on the statement-sheet, all the amounts in the balance-column on the ledger-sheet being Amanifolded in black, it will be seen that it is easy when reading a ledger-sheet to read a credit-balance for a debit-balance, which is' acter after typing a credit-balance, the next computation will be erroneously typed'in red,

and to release the lockv Ation through the center of an Underwood-I Hanson machine 'and shows the invention applied thereto. This view shows the creditbalance-key in. its released position, and the special'credit-balance type-bar in its norm-ai position.

F igurel 2 is an enlarged side view showing the depressed credit-key and its immediate connections.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the mechanism shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view `showing some of the parts of the computing mechanism in their normal positions.

Figure 5 is a view of the credit-balance-key locked in its depressed position.

Figure 6 is 'an enlargedview showing the face of the special CR type-head.

The Underwood-Eamon machine is provided with depressible keys 10 which swing their associated levers 11, and which by means of bell-cranks 12 are effective in turn to swing type-bars 13 pivotally mounted at 14. The machine has also a row of numeral-keys 15 which besides being eective to swing their fil numeral type-bars are also eective to vibrate, by means of links 16, co-operating bars 17 in a setting frame 18. Y

The computing mechanism consists of a series of rack-bars 19, each having a series yof pins 20 settable by means of the bars 17.

owever, in order that the bars 17 may operate the pins 20, it is necessary vto advance the rack-bars 19 to pin-setting position, and this is accomplished by means of dogs 21 carried by a bar 22 mounted atthe rear of the carriage. The dogs are arranged to swing levers 23 which, by means of associated links 24, transposing devices 25 and intermediate levers 26, force the rack-bars 19 forwardly to pin-setting posit-ion. The pins in the rackbars 19 are set one ata time as the carriage is moved in letter-space direction, and after typing the last character of each computation, the motor is tripped vby means of a motor-starting bar 27 which forces a link 28 downwardly, thereby rocking a lever 29 which permits a driving wheel, not shown, to rotate y a full revolution. j The driving wheel in turn 'tracted from the register,

reciprocates a general'operator 30 which carries forward all the rack-bars 19 correspondingto 'the denominations of the depressed pins.A Said bars 19 engage with denomina@ tracted from the register, there is provided mechanism which is effective to shift the ribbon to its red field, thereby typing the amount in red. Said mechanism Yis associated with a subtraction-bar 34, which is actuated by a spring when a subtraction-key -36 is depressed. T-he ribbon-shifting mechanism includes a lever 37, fast to a rock-shaft 38, which carries an arm 39, operatively connected to swing a link 40, thereby co-operatl restores the motor-starting the general the pawl 48 to release the credit-balance key,

ing with other mechanism generally indicated by the numeral 41, fully disclosed in the patent to'Kupetz, 1,452,162, of April 17, 1923.

In order that a credit-balance may be typed on the work-sheet in red, and the amount cleared fromth'e register, there is provided a credit-balance-key 42, which is actuated against the tension of a spring 43. Said key is effective to cycle the machine, to-thereby restore .the subtraction-bar 34, and also to shift the ribbon to its redfield by means of a bell-crank 44 pivotally mounted at 45. The motor-bar is depressed by means of stud 46 on the credit-balance key which engages a cam-face 47 on a trip-pawl 48, which pawl forms an integral part with an arm 49 pivotally mounted at '50. Said arm 49 carries at he end thereof a stud 51 which engages with the lower end of a slot 52 in the motor-start- 'ingbar 27. After actuating the credit-balance key 42, the stud 46 is latched by.the pawl by the' tension of a spring '53 which bar. The latched position of the credit-balance-key is shown in Figure 5.

In the above-mentioned patent to Kupetz, means are provided whereby the cycyling of operator automatically vibrates but for the purposes of the present invention the Kupetz general operator connections to release the lcredit-balance key are discarded column-position,

and the release of the credit-balance key can only be eected by the actuation of the motorstarting -key'or by a symbol typingvkey presently to be described. I

One functionof the credit-balance-key is to prevent the automatic starting of the motor when the carriage comes to a predetermined and also to prevent the shifting ofthe computing mechanism from addition to subtraction in case the carriage entersra subtraction zone while said key is actuated. To this end, there is provide-d a lever 54, which is engaged by an extension 55 of the credit-balance-key so as to force a pawl 56 into engagement with a pin 57 carried by a bell-crank 58 mounted to rock on a shaft 59, but operative to rock said shaft by a dog 58a. Said shaft 59 has a pawl 60 fast thereto, which pawl'serves as a means for holding the subtraction-bar 34 in its ineifective position. Said pawl 60 engages a notch 61 in the subtraction-bar 34, vand may be swung out of engagement with said notch either by means of the subtraction-key 36l which vibrates an arm 62 fixed on the shaft 59, or by means 'of a carriage movement which depresses a link 63 and associated mechanism, such as described in said patent to Kupetz.

`The linkage includes tabulating carriagestops 64 settably mounted on a rack-bar 65 secured to the carriage and cooperative tab-` ulator-stop-bars 66 operated by tabulatorkeys 67. One of the stops is provided with an extension, not shown, but. may be similar to that shown by Kupetz, which engages with a lever 69 to thereby depress the link 63 to vibrate a reversing bail 70 to withdraw a link 68 and release the bell-crank 58 to swing the pawl 60 out of engagement with the sub-4 traction-bar 34.

The Underwood-Hanson machine is usually provided'with a bichrome ribbonhaving an upper or black field 71, anda lower or red ield acter of the computation, and -its shifting, from one color tothe other, is controlled by 72. The colors indicate the char-v the computing mechanism. Black. indicates ordinary adding operations, while red indicates ordinary subtraction operations, but red may also indicatean addition when the credit-balance-key is depressed, in which case the 4amount copied on the work-sheet is added in the register to clear all the computing wheels. According to certain featuresof the invention, there is provided a special .creditsign type-bar 73 which is operated by a spe-V cial credit-balance-typing key 74. The purpose of this sign is to indicate on the ledgersheet which ofthe amounts represent a creditbalance. In order to compel the operator to depress the special key after each credit-balance computation, there is provided means for releasing the pawl 48 by the actuation of the special key 74 after typing a credit-balance. Said means may include a lever 75,

is typed. If this is the only pivotally mounted on a-supporting stud 76 having an extension 77 to engage a rearwardly-extending linger 78, which may be-an integral part of the paWl 48. The special key 7 4 operates a key-lever 79 having a tongue 80, operative to engage a tab 81, forming an integral part ofthe lever 75. Said lever 75 is held in its normal position by means of a suitable spring 82, secured to the frame by means of the stud 76.

From the above description and a knowledge of the prior art, as disclosed in the beforementioned patent to Kupetz, it will be understood that if the first item to be typed upon the statement-sheet and manifolded' to the ledger-sheet is a debit entry, such as merchandise sold, after typing the date lof sale and character of the merchandise, the carriage is tabulated to the debit column and the amount typed in black on the statement-sheet and manifolded in black upon the ledgersheet, the amount set up on thel pin-bars, and the motor-starting key is actuated to cycle the. general operator to carry the set-up pin values into the register and subsequently clear the setting of the pins on the pin-bars. The

carriage is noW'tabulated-to the balance col-A umn where the amount read from the register item to be typed and posted, the subtraction key is actuated before typingthe balance, to set the computing mechanism to a subtractive state and ared ribbon field, but as the entry to be typed in the balance column isa debit entry to be typed in black, the credit-balance key is .now actuated to reshit the red ribbon set by the subtraction key back to a black field, and the typing 'of the amount in the balance column in black provides a complementary setting of the pins which, when the general operator cycles,'clears the' register Wheels.

lf the first posting on ya statement-sheet and ledger also includes a credit item, as for a cash payment, the amount of the debit item will be carried over in the register and not cleared by the credit-balance key, and the debit amount typed inthe balance column under anon-add setting of the computing mechanism in a Well-known manner, after which the carriage is restored and the platen linespaced. The second item is posted as cash and the carriage is tabulated to the credit column. As'this item is to he a credit typed in red and is to be subtracted from the register, the actuation of the subtraction-key sets the computing mechanism to a subtractive state and a red ribbon field, so that the typing of the cash amount in the credit column provides a complementary pin set-up` which is effective ,when the general operator is cycled to deduct the lcash amount from the debit amount. already registered, and the mecha,-

nism is restored to a normal black addition.

It the cash item is less than the debit item, the entry in the balance column will be in black, as already described, but if the cash item is greater than the registered debit, it is clear that a credit balance exists, and when the credit balance amount is read on the register, it must be typed in red on the balance column to be distinguishable at a glance from the debit item, previously typed in the same column. After the carriage has been tabulated to the balance column, the actuation of the credit-balance key sets the computing mechanism to a subtractive state and shifts the ribbon to a red field, and after typing the amount recorded in the register in red, the general operator clears the register, but the ribbon still remains in its shifted red field 50 position, because the credit-balance key remains locked. To release the credit-balance key, the'credit key is actuated to type-a credit symbol in red after the last numeral typed in the balance column, which typing of the sym- S5 bol operates to release the locked credit-balance key, and simultaneously actates the motor-starting key to cycle the mechanism to a normal additive state. The typing of these two items in the balance column renders the 9o statement-.sheet self-explanatory through the use of the bichrome ribbon in typing debit entries in black and credit entries in red. .As the n ledger-sheet records are manifolded through a carbon-inlay, all the items typed in the balance column must necessarily be black, but the typing ofthe credit symbol CR after.l each credit balance typed,l renders the ledgersheet items in the balance column readily distinguishable.

From this description it is obvious that `Were it not for the typing of the ditinguishing character after the credit-balance item, the e, machine would remain set for subtraction and the ribbon set to a red ield, which might not be noticed by the operator until the, typed statement-sheet had been removed and a new Work-sheet inserted and typed upon, thus inf volving errors that are annoying and dimcult to correct; that the cycling of the general 11G operator does not release the locked creditbalance key; and that the credit-balance key must be released by the actuation of the m0- tor-starting key at such times when the typing of the credit-balance symbol may not be desirable.

Variations maybe resorted to Within the scope of the invention, and portions ofthe improvements may be used Without others.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1, In a typewriting and computing machine having a computing mechanism, a

.credit-balance' key for setting a computative state forthe computing mechanism, a lock for holding said credit-balance key inthis actuated position, and a type-bar for typing a credit-balance symbol, the combination with a credit key for operating said symbol typebar, of meansl operatedby said credit key 339 and release the credit-ball traction, a general operator for automatical-` credit-balance key,

credit-balance key for cycling the general.

the computingmechanism for adsubtracting computation, a means controlled by said ly resetting dition after each operator, and a lock for holding the actuated credit-balance key, and a credit-balance typebar, the combination with a special key for operating said type-bar to type a credit.- balance sign, cial key operative to release `the locked-up credit-balance key, said last means being also effective, When releasing the credit-balance key, to cycle the general operator after the typing of the credit-balance sign.

3. In a typewriting and computing ma- -chi-ne having a computing mechanism, a

. With a special key,

a lock for ho ding credit-balance-key for establishinga compu- ,tative state in the computing mechanism, automatic means for locking said credit-balance-key in its actuated position, and a typebar `for typing a credit-balance-symbol, the

combination wlth a special key for operating said type-bar, of means operated by said special key for. releasing the credit-balancekey upon operation of; said symbol-typing key chine having a computing mechanism normally set for addition, a traveling carriage operative to determine a computing zone and to shift the computing mechanism for subtraction, a `credit-balance-key operative to restore the carriage-set subtraction-mecha-- nism, and means for locking said credit-balance-key when actuated, the combination of a special type-bar having a symbol characteristic of a credit-balance computation,

typing, after typing bol.

5. In a typewriting chine having a general operatorto cycle the computing mechanism, a credit-balance key operative to c cle the general operator, and said key when actuated, the combination wlth a special credit-balance typed-bar, of a special key for operating said type-bar to type aeredit-balance symbol, and

the credit-balance-symand computing maing the symbol, to 'eiect the release of the creditbalance key -and'cycle the general opcredit key being operative to of means controlled by said spe- 4: In a typewriting and computing ma-y eratr to restore the computing'mechanism v ftier the typing of each credit-balance sym- 6. In a typevvriting and computing machine having a computing mechanism, a general operator therefor, a bichroine ribbonmechanism, a credit-balance key operable to set-the computing mechanism for a red subtraction, means orlocking said key in its actuated state during a computing interval, and a type-bar having a credit-balance symbol, the combination With a special key, of means operable thereby to jointly type a red credit-balancesymbol, release the creditbalance key, and cycle the general operator to set the computing mechanism for a black addition.

7. In a typewriting and computing machine having a computing mechanism, a bichrome ribbon mechanism,a credit-balance key operable to shift the ribbon to a red field and the computing mechanism to a subtractive state, and automatic means for locking the actuated credit-balance key during typing and computing, the combination *With a typing key, of means subsequently operable thereby to type a credit symbol, and also efective to release said credit-balance key, thereby to restore the ribbon and computing mechanismA to normalA condition for vtyping in black and performing addition. Y

8. Ina typewriting and computing machine having a power-driven locked-up general operator for cycling a computing mechanism after a computation, the combination With a type-bar and a key to swing said typebar to print, of means actuated by said key in typing and automatically operable to release the general operator to its driving means to cycle the computing mechanism after the typing of a character.

oscAR c. scHAAF. FREDERICK WILLIAM CHRISTIANSEN.

said credit-balance-key-locking means being releasable by the special key in `means controlled by said special key in typ- 

